Who needs mirrors anyway?
Mirrorless cameras are the new standard for demanding professional photographers.
Thats the message from Canon, with itsnew EOS R3.
Ailbhe Flynn / Unsplash
Until now, the most capable and flexible cameras have been DSLRs.
But with the arrival of these top-end mirrorless machines, the end of the SLR is near.
What Is a Pro Camera?
Prateek Katyal / Unsplash
It can be used for pretty much anything and excels at most of what it does.
What you saw was always what you got.
This mirror was essential on film cameras.
Jamie Street / Unsplash
How else would you get the image from the lens up into the viewfinder?
Jamie Street / Unsplash
A digital camera can just send the live image from the sensor to the viewfinder.
This has another significant advantage.
Canon
The R3 looks much like Canons current top-of-the-line DSLR, the EOS-1D X Mark III, only slightly smaller.
Canon
When Canon introduced autofocus cameras in the 1980s, it ditched its old lens mount entirely.
None of its legacy lenses could be used on the new cameras.
That served it well.
Canon was at the front of the autofocus game for years.
It seems that Canon is now similarly all-in on mirrorless.
It may see DSLRs as the legacy design they are, a holdover from the limitations of film-camera design.
There is one difference this time around.
you’re free to bring your old lenses with you.
Canoneven sells an adapterthat will give your old lenses full functionality on the new bodies.
The R3
The R3, itself, is impressive.
It could hardly be considered a small camera, but compared to DSLRs, its not bad.
And you certainly get a lot of camera for your money.
Without that pesky flipping mirror, it can shoot at up to 30 frames-per-second.
Autofocus uses AI to track subjects, and Canon brought back an old fan favorite: eye control.
This tracks the photographers eye and focuses on whatever they look at.
It is every bit the pro-level camera and will be more than enough for most photographers.
But the future is clearly mirrorless.
And thats great news.
